From The Ashes - 032

[A/N: Hey guys, I took a day off and got a migraine, which made it almost impossible to focus on my writing. I managed to catch up on my uploads for WN and SH though, which is nice!

Still, I finally finished the chapters that I promised you, so here they are! Enjoy! Also, I hope you have/had a nice weekend!]

Chapter 032 – Conduit

[2012]

Looking at the small golden raven-shaped token in his comparatively giant palm that the Asgardian warrioress had just passed him, Eitri's eyes took on an almost fanatical look after recalling the short message that Odin had left for him in the token.

His gaze moved to the dark-haired man with the small flame burning between his eyebrows and his breath couldn't help but get caught in his throat, excitement mixing with disbelief.

A warrior wielding the 'Soul of Will' was an existence so rare that neither he nor his ancestors had ever seen one with their own eyes. They were nothing but myths and legends, rumors of their existence nothing but whispers in the void between the stars.

And yet, that dark-haired man wasn't just a wielder of 'Soul of Will', he was a Supreme. A singular existence even amongst this legendary group of ultimate warriors.

To be the first amongst the Dwarves to be allowed to forge a weapon for such an existence, Eitri couldn't think of a task that would give him a greater sense of achievement. It was an honor without comparison.

He lived to forge weapons of immeasurable power, his whole race did. But he, as the King, was even more invested in the creation of divine weapons. For him, it was the whole reason for his existence, the thing that drove him forward and gave meaning to his life.

What more could he wish for than to be allowed to forge a weapon for a member of the greatest group of warriors that were said to exist in this Universe? For a Supreme no less?

One thing to remember was that he and his people weren't allowed to just forge divine armaments according to their own wishes. Without Odin's approval, they were only allowed to forge weapons and armor of lesser power for the Einherjar or others that could afford their services.

This was the condition for Asgard's protection since the Allfather did not want them to amass a treasury of weapons that had the power to destroy worlds.

As such, Eitri spend his time designing molds for divine weapons without ever truly forging them, which was strictly speaking an action that was in the grey zone of their agreement with the King of Asgard, who intentionally turned a blind eye to them when it came to those things.

Odin knew that it was in their blood to create weapons, an innate urge that they found almost impossible to ignore. As such, he only forbade them from creating them, not designing them.

So the Dwarven King was naturally exuberant at this moment, having the Allfather's permission to create a weapon that would be wielded by a Supreme, his blood thrumming in joy and anticipation as it rushed through his veins.

Unable to contain his excitement any longer, Eitri threw back his head and laughed almost maniacally, the soundwaves of his actions rattling the metal tool and glass containers on the workbench of his private forging room.

…

The Dwarven King's eagerness to forge me a weapon wasn't too much of a surprise for me since I knew about his race's love for their craft, though obsession may be the more accurate description.

"I can sense the power of external objects within you.", Eitri stated after having calmed down and having asked Sif and Johann to leave so that speak to me alone about the divine armament that he was supposed to forge for me, "And not just one."

I lifted a brow at his rather accurate eye but quickly realized that as the King of his race, he most certainly was not a simple character. Additionally, there existed probably no one that had seen and touched as many divine treasures as he had, so it was normal for him to have a discerning eye.

Nodding, I simply flared the energy of the Space and Soul Stone, wrapping myself in blue and orange cosmic energy for a moment and causing the atmosphere to shake in the comparatively large hall.

"Two Infinity Stones!", Eitri exclaimed with some measure of surprise and shock, "You really are a Supreme, haha! Who else, besides the Allfather, could withstand the power of those terrifying ingots?!"

Shaking his head for a moment, his last question obviously a rhetorical one, he continued more seriously: "Most armaments that I forged had their own strengths but also acted as conduits at the same time, helping their wielder to channel their powers in a more concentrated and destructive way."

"But a warrior like you doesn't need a weapon that has its own strength because you have enough of that."

"What you need is a weapon capable of withstanding your power. A weapon that can channel the strength that you hold. A perfect conduit, if you will.", he stated while looking down at me, his wild beard rustling while the smudge stains on his cheeks and forehead made it clear that he was a craftsman.

Eitri didn't have the typical regal aura of a leader or king, instead, he had the aura and the eyes of a man that loved his craft beyond any reason or comprehension. He was a born smith, extraordinary by any standard of the word.

I could only guess that the Dwarves worshipped his skill even more than they cared about his abilities to lead them. He might be a good leader still but I had the faint suspicion that his people didn't care too much about that.

With Asgard's protection, Eitri wasn't a true king but more like an administrator and I could only guess that he liked it that way since his passion for his craft was obviously the most important for him.

His assessment of my needs was also true since I had no interest in a 'strong' weapon, what I needed was a weapon that could endure and focus the power that I held in my hands.

“How long will it take you to create such a weapon, Dwarven King?”, I asked calmly since that was the only thing that really mattered to me.

"A month, no- … Ten days! In ten days, you will have your weapon, Supreme!", Eitri promised, excitement and determination thick in his eyes, his passion unmistakable, "Also, just Eitri is enough. I dare not ask you to call me by my title, Supreme!"

“Then you shall call me Noah, Eitri.”, I responded in kind, a faint smile on my lips, my impression of this king much better than that of the first king that I had met.

Eyes widening a bit, the Dwarven King laughed again as he promised to do his absolute best while forging my weapon.

Since I also knew that Johann naturally thirsted for mystical knowledge of all kinds, I asked Eitri to allow Johann to watch him work or maybe just help him gain a bit of understanding about the process they used to create such magnificent weapons.

And to be honest, I expected Eitri to deny the request but he didn't as he said that it was impossible for others to learn how they forged since it had something to do with their innate racial abilities. So Jahann, as my follower, was welcome to watch as long as he didn't disturb his work.

Expressing my gratitude, I eventually left Nidavellir with Sif by drawing upon the strength of the Space Stone to open a portal, leaving behind Johann.

Personally, I had no real interest in learning how they forged their weapons. And I knew that the mild curiosity that I had about the subject would easily be taken care of by having Johann answer some of my questions.

My priority at this point was to get a good grasp on my own abilities, as well as the Infinity Stones' powers that I now had access to. There was a lot that I had yet to learn and understand, after all.